This and That...

Abdullah (Rabha's brother) & Me

Hello again! 

A few updates for you...

I will start with the bad news...I'm sad to report that on Monday night a 23 year-old boy from Tounfite, hung himself from a tree. I was on my morning walk and upon return I saw a large crowd gathered outside of a house, just a few alley's over from mine. I knew someone had died as large crowds outside a home always mean that someone has passed away. Later that day, Emma and I went for tea at Mamaksu's and that's when I found out the details.

Although extremely sad, it was interesting to hear from various people how they felt about the incident. Normally when someone dies everyone goes around calling them meskin(a), which means 'poor thing'. On this occasion hshuma was the most commonly used word in all conversations. Hshuma means 'shameful'. Everyone pretty much said had the same thing to say..."Ingayi ixfinus, Rrbbie ur eijbi lhal, hshuma bzzaf, meskin lwalidinus." Which means, "His head was sick, Allah does not like the situation, so shameful, and his poor parents." Everyone also made it very clear that he would not be going to heaven.

I found the whole thing to be very upsetting. The boy obviously had mental health issues and if there was the proper help for that here in Morocco, maybe his death could have been prevented.

Onto more cheery things...

Tounfite's Box Office Debut 2012: Road Construction
They are laying new piping under the one and only road here in town. It is by far the most amusing situation...literally every shop owner has put plastic tables and chairs outside their shop making the entire sidewalk through town a conglomerate of temporary cafes. This has been done so that any and everyone has a spot to sit and watch the construction take place. Seriously, I can't not smile when I go to the shop and the sidewalks are packed with people just sipping away at their tea, watching the road get torn up, like it is the number one movie premier of 2012.

American International Women's Association of Rabat
Rabha and I attended a 'Holiday Fair' in Rabat on December 10th, 2011. It was not a Peace Corps sponsored craft fair, but it was put on by the American International Women's Association of Rabat (AIWA). The timing was perfect as it was just before Christmas and it was held on the campus of the American School in Rabat. This was ideal as almost all the visitors were citizens of the United States, as most were family members of the children who attend school there.

Unfortunately, we only sold three carpets which didn't really make it worthwhile. Once again our main consumers were Peace Corps related. Our Country Director, Peggy McClure and the Head Peace Corps Doctor for Africa, both purchased a carpet. The final sale, which was also our only non-Peace Corps sale was to non other than Santa Claus himself. Rabha enjoyed meeting Santa for the first time ever and I enjoyed explaining to her exactly why this crazy man was all dressed in red.

Rabha was not disappointed with the sales outcome of the fair, as she not only got to meet and have her picture taken with Santa, but also with Peggy, the Country Director and Sam Kaplan the United States Ambassador to Morocco and his wife.

Rabha and Peggy McClure (Country Director)

The sun was in our eyes all day...

Rabha with Sam Kaplan and his wife (US Ambassador)

Exploring with Rabha & Emma
Emma and I recently made the trek to Rabha's parents house for lunch. After a delicious lunch, we went out into the mountains to do some exploring with Rabha. We hiked for about an hour until we came to a large cave which had both stalagmites and stalactites forming in it. Rabha let me know that David and Kristen (Tounfite volunteers two generations before me) used to camp in the cave, but that she was too scared to join them. Across from the cave, was an enormous natural bridge. I didn't have the right shoes to get all the way up to it, but I made it as far as I could and had my picture taken.

Rabha has now shown me a waterfall, gorge, cave and natural bridge all within an hour from her parent's house. Clever lady that she is, there has been a ulterior motive behind showing me all these amazing sights...she wants me to help her get funding for a small riad, which would be built near her parent's house on the family land. I love her enthusiasm and creative thinking. With all the natural beauty surrounding the area she is sure that tourists would love to come stay in a cosy riad and have a local guide (the Cooperative's secretary's husband) tour them through the mountains during the day, returning back in the evening to a traditional meal prepared by the women of the Cooperative. I really can't tell you how fantastic it is to have a counterpart with such strong ambition.

Cave on the Left--Natural Bridge on the Right

Natural Bridge

View from the Cave

Rabha looking out of the cave

Upcoming Events

Mushmina
Rabha and I are headed to Khenifra next Sunday to meet with the owner of US company, Mushmina. When I sent the e-mail out to companies currently importing Moroccan products, Heather the owner of Mushmina, showed interest in the natural dyes that we create. She let me know that carpets weren't of any interest to her and asked if I thought the women could make naturally dyed pillows. I met with the women of the cooperative and they said the pillows were something they could and would like to make.

Heather is currently traveling around Morocco, buying new merchandise for her store and so we will be taking some samples to her when she is in Khenifra. Fingers crossed all goes well.

March Maroc Marrakech
The next Peace Corps sponsored craft fair which Rabha and I will be attending, will take place January 27-29th in Marrakech.  I'm looking forward to seeing all the other volunteers and their cooperatives products as it has been six months since the last Marche Maroc which was in Essaouira.

'Project Occupy the Caid's Office'
Tomorrow is the big day so keep your fingers crossed for us!

Until next time,

Miriam x

Cooperative Chorouk's First Testimonial and In-Home Picture!

Thought I would share Cooperative Chorouk's very first customer testimonial and in-home picture with you all...

"I purchased this beautiful Berber carpet at an artisan's fair in Morocco in April of 2011.  I have found it to be of very high quality and I get many compliments on this carpet from friends and family. 

It is located on the bedroom floor so it gets a lot of foot traffic. The wool is very soft and warm, so it feels good under bare feet. 

I have found that the carpet does not soil easily.  I have washed it one time using a mild detergent, Woolite, and then I air-dried it on a clothesline.  I am happy to report that the carpet did not warp and the colors remained colorfast. 

I would definitely recommend the purchase of a Berber carpet from Cooperative Chorouk.  I was able to fold the carpet and carry it home to America in a regulation size carry-on.  My only regret is that I did not buy more than one!"

Tracy Benton, St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.A.

The dimensions of this carpet are roughly 3'x6'.5" and it retails for $140.

M'Bruk Asgwass Oojjdeed!

That's how you would say Happy New Year in Tamazight, but no one does. They do watch the fireworks of all the major cities on the news though.

I was lucky enough to spend time with my family and friends in London over the Holiday's, which was a very enjoyable break...thank you to all who made it so special, including Marisa (another volunteer here), who came along with me :)

It looks worse in person than picture...

I hesitated as to whether or not I would blog about this, as I don't want to discourage anyone from sending care packages ;) But, I decided that it was too humorous not to post a picture of.

Upon return to Tounfite, I went to the post office to see if any mail had arrived while I was gone. Lucky girl that I am, there was a Christmas care package from Francesca (thank you!). The only thing is it looks as though enroute it may have been used as a chair.

Even my local postman, Mustafa, laughed as he handed it to me and said, 'mumkin shan arayz guh tiara iqqim guh cartonnm am corsi!' Which translates to, 'it's possible some man on the plane sat on your box like it's a chair!'.

It has also been open and re-taped...from the looks of it quite possibly by a three-year-old. Let's just hope nothing is missing. I should mention however, that Nana and Dad sent me a Christmas package as well (thank you!) and it was in the exact same kind of box, only untouched and in perfect condition with nothing missing :)

Oh you sexy door...

That's right. My bedroom door is wearing a skirt. But, not just any skirt, it's a hot pink, corduroy, kids Gap skirt which cost me 3 dirhams ($00.34) at souk (market) on Sunday. Steal. 

You may be thinking, "Oh, No! She's unraveling over there!" Don't worry. I am still sane (some might argue a little crazy, probably wouldn't argue with them either). 

No my friends, the thing is the door is Moroccan and rather than sitting less than a centimeter from the floor, my door sits about 6 inches off the floor. Which is fine during the summer, but come winter it makes for a very unwelcome draft. Last year, I had a large blanket folded in front of the door, but stepping over it all the time got annoying. So as the cold and snow set in this winter, I nailed the purpose-bought-skirt to my bedroom door.  

It's gorgeous right? 

That's all from me for now...

Smooches x

Bits & Pieces...

I love you so much...

I recently came home to this charming graffiti on my front door. It's nice to know that the kids around here are paying attention during their English lessons :)

A recent snap of me and Princes Yassmine...

Speaking of Royalty, the King himself made a visit to Tounfite a few weeks ago. The town was bustling with madness leading up to his arrival. He came to inaugurate a new educational complex for vocational training and youth integration.

 

And now I will cheat and quote the news report on his visit...

    'The educational complex aims to boost training and capacity building of the region’s women and youth in income- and employment-generating local businesses, as it provides women’s literacy programmes while ensuring preschool education to children, in order to improve the socio-economic integration of women and youth in precarious situation.

     The new facility has a unit of tourist information and guidance that works in synergy with other units in the region, especially those of Midelt and Imilchil.

    It also includes several centres including one for women’s training and qualification, which houses workshops for pastry, dressmaking, weaving carpets in addition to a day-nursery and a play area for children.

    The vocational training centre for young people consists of workshops for wood joinery, agricultural training, a greenhouse, in addition to computer science and literacy rooms.

    The complex also includes a showroom and an area to sell local products, as well as reception services through the housing center."

And now for some whining from me...while the complex may sound fantastic, the reality is it is already brewing with corruption. The woman who was appointed (and now in a rather cushily paid position) to teach the young women how to weave...HAS NO IDEA HOW TO WEAVE. Sigh. This is not an isolated case by any means...the King inaugurated many center's during his visit to the region and almost all have unqualified person's collecting paychecks for teaching a course they have no clue about and aren't actually teaching. 

The most frustrating part for me is that seeing as the appointed person's aren't qualified and have no idea where to begin, Rabha has been asked to go and teach the women how to use the looms...for free. And seeing as she is such a kind-hearted soul, who gets the concept of volunteerism, thanks to her work with Peace Corps volunteers, she has already agreed to go and help out. Blah. She knows my thoughts on the situation and has promised me her services are only fabor (free) for the initial class...

Okay, enough ranting. You can clearly see my frustration with the situation. Moving onto to more pleasant news...

The week before HM King Mohammed VI came to Tounfite, Rabha received a personal invitation from His Majesty to attend the grand opening of 'The King's Center' in Midelt. During which she got to shake his hand as speak briefly with him. Apparently, after the handshake he pointed to a wooden machine and asked her if she knew what it was...albeit a bit of an arrogant question considering she is the President of a weaving cooperative and the machine was a wool spinner-which was a no brainer for her, she pleased him with her ease of response and he then informed her that he was rewarding Cooperative Chorouk's hard work (which he was aware of because of their affiliation with Peace Corps) with some fabulous gifts...Two 4-meter and one 3- meter metal looms complete with matching benches, a machine that spins the wool, and a maintenance/repair kit for the looms. RESULT. 

Now we just have to find a building for the Cooperative. Currently, the looms are in pieces taking up half of Rabha's house. My goal for the month of January is secure a building for the Cooperative. I've decided to take an entourage of Peace Corps Volunteers to the Caid's (Mayor) office in Tounfite and have everyone gush on about what a hardworking, fantastic Cooperative we are and I suppose do a bit of diplomatic begging for a physical building for them.  Sounds like a pretty rad plan, eh? 

If 'Project Occupy the Caid's Office' doesn't work...I will write a Special Project's Assistance (SPA) grant in the hopes that Peace Corps wants to help us out. Rabha's father has agreed to donate some land for the building space, so that will cover 'in-kind' community contributions for the grant. Ideally however, the Caid will give into our charisma and charm and hand over a building, leaving the SPA grant funds for more equipment for the Cooperative. So finger's crossed everyone. 

More good news on the work front...I recently sent an e-mail to twenty-eight stores in the USA who are currently importing Moroccan textiles, in the hope that someone would like our rugs and agree to start importing them. Within two hours of sending the e-mail, I received a most pleasing response. (Call me selfish, go ahead, but I'm not going to name the store on here as I don't want all the other Peace Corps Volunteers stealing my new found glory...) So, XXX Store in San Francisco, liked the pictures, and responded with a detailed order request. The most beautiful part of the whole thing, is that he already has a warehouse in Marrakesh, so we just have to get the carpets there, and he takes care of the actual exporting...splendid, just splendid I tell you!

More to come soon...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!!!

Miriam xXx

A Sad Day in Tounfite...

View from my Roof

I'm very sad to say that my host great-grandfather passed away on in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The past week has certainly been the saddest of my service, with all my family in mourning. BaHaLu, (grandfather) as we called him, was Mamaksu's (my host grandmother) and MBarsh's (my landlord) father.

I am certain that he is in a better place now, as for the past year, every time I have visited my landlords' house, BaHaLu has been lying in his makeshift bed in the corner of the living room, next to the furno (woodstove). He ate all his meals and spent all his time there only getting up, with assistance, to go to the toilet.

When I left for my morning run on Tuesday, I saw a crowd outside the family's house and instantly knew why. For the past couple weeks, every time I have dined with the family, BaHaLu barely ate anything, pushing the food away as MBarsh tried to feed him. And with the very cold weather we have had, it all added up immediately.

I waited until the afternoon to stop by and pay my respects. In the end I was there for nine hours that evening and I returned again the next day for a few hours. Family came from all over Morocco to be together and to mourn. I can not imagine how exhausting it must have been for Mama (MBarsh's wife) as their home was filled with 50+ people for three days. The door was always open and members of the community came in and out to pay their respects from 9am until well past midnight each day. Every time a woman hugged Mamaksu or another close relative of BaHaLu, there was hysterically sobbing from both of the women for a few minutes, even if sometimes there were no tears left to be shed, sobbing continued.

There was a small army of women in the kitchen ensuring that tea and bouchiere (fried flaky bread) were on constant offer. At meal times a feast was offered to all that were in the house. Lunch was three courses and dinner as well. The amount of work that took place in the tiny kitchen during those three days was beyond incredible. Imagine, feeding 50+ people twice a day and always having bread and tea on hand, all the while grieving BaHaLu's death.

As with most gatherings, men and women sat in separate rooms. Prayer could be heard almost continually coming from the men's room, and sobbing from the women's. The first hour was quite awkward for me as I have only ever been to western style funerals and I wasn't quite sure what the protocol was for an Islamic funeral.

As I entered the room, I greeted each woman by touching their palms to mine and then kissing my hand, this is a common greeting and is used daily. For the immediate family, we greeted by kissing cheeks 4-10 times and I said the phrase Baraka Frasskum which means, Blessings to you all, and is a way of giving condolences in Arabic. After greeting every woman in the room, Mamaksu insisted I sit next to her and for the rest of the afternoon and evening, we sat together and greeted the masses of friends and family who came to pay their respects.

Things have calmed down now and are slowly getting back to normal, but BaHaLu will most certainly be missed by all. May he rest in peace.

Sending love to you all,

Miriam xXx

P.S. I almost forgot to mention that while at the funeral, Mamaksu introduced me to one of my host-cousins, a woman who lives in Meknes. Turns out she is an English teach in the Moroccan Air Force. It was nice to have someone to speak a English with and funnily enough, her husband is also in the Air Force and spent six years in America at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and in Tucson, Arizona at Davis Air Force Base--working on F-16's!!! For those that don't know, once upon a time my Dad was also in the US Air Force...working on F-16's!

High Atlas Wedding Trek

On the way to Rebha's parents 

Waterfall next to Rebha's parents' house

Outside her parents' house

Setting off

Easy way up

Two hours in

Three hours in

Rebha's mom baking bread in the outdoor bread oven 

Talk about creative

Abdullah (Rebha's brother), Rebha and her Mom, baking bread on top of the woodstove

A couple weeks ago,  Rebha invited me to join her on a trip into the mountains to her parents' house. Her brother at 44 was to be wed and I was invited to accompany her on a trek to pick up the bride. We left on Tuesday morning and hiked for one and a half hours through the foothills,  to the base of Mascar (the mountain next to Tounfite). Her parents live in a three-room mud house at the very base of the mountain. They live without electricity and the closest neighbor is about a half an hour walk. The pictures I am including don't do the views justice. They have a billion dollar view.  


Upon our arrival we were greeted with massive smiles and hugs to match. Rebha and I drank some tea and refueled ourselves with bread,  olive oil,  butter and fresh walnuts,  before taking a short hike to a nearby waterfall. Upon return to her parents house,  we had lunch which was a tagine of chicken,  carrots,  potatoes,  caramelized onions and raisins. Everything but the raisins was from their garden,  including the chicken.  


After lunch,  we went outside where Rebha's younger brother was waiting with two mules-one for me and one for him,  and a donkey for Rebha. There were blankets for saddles and I was given a very special pair of stirrups (two stirrups connected with rope, hung across the mule). Rebha and her brother rode without such a luxury. We then rode through and along the High Atlas Mountains for four hours to Ait Chaouili a small village nestled in the mountains,  home of Rebha's soon to be new sister-in-law. The ride was breathtaking. Again,  the pictures simply don't do it justice and words can't describe.


Upon arrival at the brides house,  we relaxed for a couple hours,  drinking tea and eating bread with olive oil,  honey and oodi (rancid butter). Around 7pm,  the members of the village began to arrive at the house for the bride's 'leaving' dinner/wedding celebration. Men were in a separate room from women and the arrivals continued for just over two hours. I sat next to Rebha and tried hard to ignore about 50 pairs of eyes staring at me.  Dinner was served once everyone had arrived and we ate tagine followed by couscous, which is two dinners at one time! 


After dinner we sat for another hour or so allowing everyone more time to stare at me. Around 11pm,  the bride joined us (she ate dinner in the kitchen with her mother and sisters) for traditional local wedding rituals. First,  an entire pack of incense was lit on the table next to me. A plate of dates was passed around as Rebha washed the bride's hands and feet with Henna  before presenting her with a new suitcase full of clothes,  shoes,  makeup,  perfume and other bits and pieces for her to take to her new home with Rebha's family. A sheet was placed over the bride and Rebha so that non of us could see them and Rebha helped her change into a new kaftan (fancy dress used for special occasions). The rest of the women were chanting and singing traditional wedding songs throughout the entire event.


Once the bride was changed into her new kaftan,  a few of the women gathered the presents from the suitcase and placed them on large trays. They hoisted the trays on their heads and we all stood and clapped and danced around the bride. It was amazing to be a part of the celebration and rituals, certainly another thing I will never forget. 


As soon as all the guests had left,  Rebha and I made our way outside...most of the houses in the village are without toilets and so we ventured into the darkness to spend a penny before bed. Bed was a pile of blankets on the floor and Rebha, myself and her brother shared a room to sleep. , In the morning,  Rebha and I went on a short walk before breakfast. I took some pictures of the village from the roof of a nearby house and afterwards we returned to the brides house for a breakfast of tea, bread, olive oil and jam...seeing a pattern yet? 


After breakfast,  we went on another walk with one of the bride's little sisters. She showed us around the village and we ended up sitting in a field, next to a tethered mule, talking about work with the Cooperative and beliefs/traditions in Islam vs. culture in the United States. While we were sitting there,  the girl picked a turnip from the field and munched away at it. Without prompting from me, Rebha gave a small lecture about washing the vegetables off before she eats them which made me happy.


Lunch was ready when we got back to the bride's house. We drank soup and ate tagine and then had about three glasses of sweet green tea. After lunch, the girls from the family all gathered to dress the bride up for her journey to her new home at Rebha's parents. She washed her face over a bowl of water and black eyeliner was applied afterwards. The girls loved having their pictures taken and I had to struggle to keep the camera in my hands as they all wanted to look at the pictures. 


We then went outside where the entourage of mules and donkeys were waiting for our journey back to Rebha's parents. The brides parents and uncle joined us on the trek back and the bride rode double with Rebha's younger brother (not the groom as he was not present for any of this). In fact, the bride and groom had never actually spoken, ever. We rode for four hours and while it was even more beautiful on the way back,  with the view of the bride on a mule in front of me,  it was Painful. And I mean I wasn't comfortable at any point during the journey. The four hours the day before were enough to gently bruise my behind, and all I could think of was what the next day would be like after 8 hours of riding in two days...


When we got back we ate more bread, drank more tearelaxed until dinnertime. Dinner was pressure cooked beef and bread. After dinner everyone had an early night as we were all  exhausted from the traveling. The next morning we had breakfast (the usual) and then we pretty much sat around (I sat on a pillow, which still didn't mask the pain) until lunch time. People hiked in from Tounfite and surrounding villages for the 'wedding lunch'. I'm guessing there were about 60 people in total, with the men in one room and women in another. Again, I was stared at the whole time. At one point I went outside to take a phone call and within two minutes I was surrounded by about 15 children staring and giggling at me as I spoke that crazy English language on the phone. There was more sitting and tea drinking after lunch, which led all the way up to dinner (more meat and bread) and then at last, bed. 


During the night a storm rolled in off the mountain and brought with it a thick haze of fog,  which actually filled the house. It woke me up,  but no one else,  as it made breathing slightly difficult for me. I'm guessing the altitude affected me and that they are used to it, but it was certainly bizarre. The storm brought was high winds and rain,  which made the morning hike back to Tounfite pretty miserable. 


I never did see the bride and groom have any kind of interaction,  they were kept in separate rooms the whole time. Rebha told me that later that day, once all the guests had left, they would be able to speak to each other. I know I've been here for a year and had all this time to get used to the concept of arranged marriages, but physically being in the middle of the wedding, I was having a hard time wrapping my head around the whole thing.  


I'll be honest, I got pretty teary eyed on the ride back from the bride's village to Rebha's parents' house. It was a combination of the scenic views, bride wrapped in a wedding blanket on the back of a mule being carried to her new life and home, and the fact that I was a part of all it. I honestly felt like I was a character in a children's story about a princess being taken to her wedding through the mountains on horseback...Then the sweeping realization that it is in fact a true story and I will be able to tell it for the rest of my life...okay...you get me, it was emotional :) 

Brides' Village-Ait Chaouili

Brides' Village-Ait Chaouili

Wedding Rituals

Wedding Rituals

Mama, the bride is in the middle

Singing and Dancing around Mama

Mama, the bride

Holding the brides' presents and singing

Just before the bride leaves for her new home...the orange/yellow sequin dazzleness is a traditional Berber wedding blanket

Taking the bride to her new home

:)

I'll end on a funny note...Rebha's father and grandfather, being so close to the mountains do a lot of hunting. For this, they have hunting dogs to help them bring back their kill. It's so unusual to see purebred dogs in Morocco, as most are crossbred strays since people don't have pets here. Anyways, Rebha's family have two very pretty dogs, which came from France (a friend brought them back as a gift). There is now an adorable puppy who I got to play with for three days before finding out that his name is Booby :) Apparently it's a man's name in French...The women were in hysterics when I showed them what it means in English :)

Much love,

Miriam xXx

The infamous 'Booby'

Maternal Health & Childcare Training

2011 Tounfite Maternal Health & Childcare Training Participants

This is an annual training led by health volunteers in my area, along with the help of volunteers from other sectors, like me. There were seven of us in total, along with my counterpart Rebha, who helped to organize and facilitate the event. The training was the fourth consecutive training of trainers, aimed at addressing the high maternal and infant mortality rates of the High Atlas Mountain region surrounding Tounfite.

Over sixteen women from eleven different douars (tiny villages scattered throughout the mountains) convened for the 3-day training on October 16-24 at the Tounfite Birthing Center. A month or so before the training, we hiked into the surrounding mountains to recruit women for the training. 


The training was funded by a grant from the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF). This allowed us to pay my host family to host the women in their home for the length of the training. It was a lot of work for them as they had over sixteen women to prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner for each day, along with regular daily household chores. They did a brilliant job opening their home to the women. 

Each day after breakfast the women walked to the birthing center for morning training sessions as outlined below. The afternoons were dedicated to review and the practicing of teach backs in small groups, using the information learned in the morning sessions.

Day One: Introductions, Womens Health Problems of the Atlas Region, Purpose of training-Encourage Prenatal & Postnatal Visits at the hospital and the Encourage Giving Birth at the Hospital vs. Home, Womens Anatomy and Sexual Development, Intercourse and Fertility Cycles, Family Planning, Sexually Transmitted Infections

Day Two: Pregnancy, Nutrition, Birthing Process, Newborn and Infant Care, Breast Feeding and Maternal Care

Day Three: Personal Hygiene and Common/Basic Newborn and Infant Illnesses

On the last evening we held a celebration dinner and presented certificates of participation to each of the women. 

                 

The most important part of the training was the opportunity to provide female leaders from rural areas a safe space to discuss sensitive topics from female sexual and reproductive anatomy to proper condom use. Also, a big focus was educating the women on teaching skills; trainees were required to practice, rehearse, and teach back the topics they learned to other trainees. This helped to better prepare the women for the teach backs they will facilitate upon return to their villages.

It was impressive to see the dedication and focus the trainees had in retaining the knowledge they learned and putting it into practice. At one point we observed one trainee speaking to a group of women, who were waiting in line outside the hospital, about the importance of family planning. This was done of her own volition and not prompted by any volunteer or community partner.

The training was huge success and exceeded all of our expectations as volunteers. Many of the women who have participated in the past proclaimed that this year's event was also one of the best organized and most useful. I'm look forward to making visits into the mountains to help the new Rural Health Educators kick-off their first teach-back to other women in their villages.

While the training was on very serious and culturally taboo topics, there were as always, a few humorous moments which I will share with you...


The first was on the second day, when we asked the women as a group, "where do babies come from?" and a few very serious responses were fingers pointed at the sky and the exclamation, 'sug Rrbie' which means 'from God'. Ah, Bless. 

The second was during one of my afternoon small group sessions. I was reviewing family planning with my four women and I asked them to name the four ways to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. We had covered the topic in the morning and the correct answers were; birth control pill, injection birth control, intrauterine device (IUD) and condoms. The women were able to name the first three with ease and then struggled for awhile, before one lovely lady exclaimed, "ariyaz adil3ab duh ixfinus" which literally translates to...'the man should just play with himself.' 
I managed to contain the fit of giggles inside me, until I was back at my house with the other volunteers. 

The Peace Corps Crew

My Afternoon Small Discussion Group

Practicing Teach Backs

My Small Group Presenting their Teach Back Topic

Morning Sessions

Showing the women and IUD

Practicing the Correct Way to Wash Your Hands

Last Evening's Celebration Dinner/Party